The Challenge of Domestic Intelligence in a Free Society: A Mulitdisciplinary Look at the Creation of a U.S. Domestic Counterterrorism Intelligence Agency

309 Pages·2009·1.75 MB·English

by  Brian Jackson

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The Challenge of
Domestic Intelligence
in a Free Society
A Multidisciplinary Look at the Creation of a U.S.
Domestic Counterterrorism Intelligence Agency
BRIAN A. JACKSON, EDITOR
Contributors: Agnes Gereben Schaefer, Darcy Noricks,
Benjamin W. Goldsmith, Genevieve Lester, Jeremiah Goulka,
Michael A. Wermuth, Martin C. Libicki, David R. Howell
Prepared for the Department of Homeland Security
HOMELAND SECURITY PROGRAM and
the INTELLIGENCE POLICY CENTER
This research was sponsored by the United States Department of
Homeland Security and was conducted jointly under the auspices of the
Homeland Security Program within RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and
Environment and the Intelligence Policy Center of the National Security
Research Division.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Jackson, Brian A.
The challenge of domestic intelligence in a free society : a multidisciplinary look
at the creation of a U.S. domestic counterterrorism intelligence agency /
Brian A. Jackson.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-8330-4616-1 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Intelligence service—United States. 2. Terrorism—United States—Prevention.
3. Terrorism—Government policy—United States. I. Title.
JK468.I6J33 2009
363.325'1630973—dc22
2008046369
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Preface
With terrorism still prominent on the U.S. national agenda, whether
the country’s prevention efforts match the threat it faces continues to
be central in policy debate. One element of this debate is questioning
whether the United States, like some other countries, needs a dedi-
cated domestic intelligence agency. To examine this question, Con-
gress directed that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Office
of Intelligence and Analysis perform “an independent study on the fea-
sibility of creating a counter terrorism intelligence agency” (U.S. Con-
gress, 2006, p. 122). The results of this study are presented in three
volumes:
(cid:116)(cid:1) This volume contains a series of papers examining the U.S. context
for domestic intelligence, current activities, and varied approaches
for assessing options.
(cid:116)(cid:1) An additional volume, published separately, Considering the
Creation of a Domestic Intelligence Agency in the United States:
Lessons from the Experiences of Australia, Canada, France, Germany,
and the United Kingdom (Jackson, 2009), presents case studies of
other nations’ domestic intelligence organizations and activities.
(cid:116)(cid:1) The overarching policy results of the assessment, including a dis-
cussion of the pros and cons of creating a new intelligence organi-
zation, are included in a companion volume to this work: Reorga-
nizing U.S. Domestic Intelligence: Assessing the Options (Treverton,
2008).
iii
iv The Challenge of Domestic Intelligence in a Free Society
This volume should be of interest to homeland security policy-
makers, state and local governments, law enforcement organizations,
civil rights and civil liberties organizations, and private-sector organi-
zations with interests in homeland security. This study is part of a larger
body of RAND research related to homeland security, intelligence, and
terrorism. Related RAND publications include the following:
(cid:116)(cid:1) Peter Chalk and William Rosenau, Confronting the “Enemy
Within”: Security Intelligence, the Police, and Counterterrorism in
Four Democracies, MG-100-RC, 2004
(cid:116)(cid:1) K. Jack Riley, Gregory F. Treverton, Jeremy M. Wilson, and
Lois M. Davis, State and Local Intelligence in the War on Terror-
ism, MG-394-RC, 2005
(cid:116)(cid:1) Brian A. Jackson, Peter Chalk, Kim Cragin, Bruce Newsome,
John V. Parachini, William Rosenau, Erin M. Simpson, Melanie
Sisson, and Donald Temple, Breaching the Fortress Wall: Under-
standing Terrorist Efforts to Overcome Defensive Technologies, MG-
481-DHS, 2007.
The RAND Homeland Security Program
This research was conducted jointly under the auspices of the Home-
land Security Program within RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and Envi-
ronment and the Intelligence Policy Center of the National Security
Research Division. The mission of RAND Infrastructure, Safety, and
Environment is to improve the development, operation, use, and pro-
tection of society’s essential physical assets and natural resources and
to enhance the related social assets of safety and security of individuals
in transit and in their workplaces and communities. Homeland Secu-
rity Program research supports the Department of Homeland Security
and other agencies charged with preventing and mitigating the effects
of terrorist activity within U.S. borders. Projects address critical infra-
structure protection, emergency management, terrorism risk man-
agement, border control, first responders and preparedness, domestic
threat assessments, domestic intelligence, and workforce and training.
Preface v
Information about the Homeland Security Program is available
online (http://www.rand.org/ise/security/). Inquiries about homeland
security research projects should be addressed to
Andrew Morral, Director
Homeland Security Program, ISE
RAND Corporation
1200 South Hayes Street
Arlington, VA 22202-5050
703-413-1100, x5119
[email protected]
The RAND Intelligence Policy Center
The Intelligence Policy Center is part of the RAND National Secu-
rity Research Division (NSRD). NSRD conducts research and analysis
for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the Joint Staff, the Unified
Combatant Commands, the defense agencies, the Department of the
Navy, the Marine Corps, the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Intelligence
Community, allied foreign governments, and foundations.
For more information on RAND’s Intelligence Policy Center,
address queries to
John Parachini, Director
Intelligence Policy Center
RAND Corporation
1200 South Hayes Street
Arlington, VA 22202-5050
703-413-1100, x5579
[email protected]
More information about RAND is available at www.rand.org

Contents
Preface ............................................................................. iii
Figures ............................................................................. xi
Tables .............................................................................xiii
Acknowledgments ...............................................................xv
Abbreviations ................................................................... xvii
CHAPTER ONE
Introduction ....................................................................... 1
Defining Domestic Intelligence .................................................. 3
Arguments for Change in Current Domestic Intelligence Policies ........... 6
About This Study ................................................................... 8
PART I
The U.S. Context for Domestic Counterterrorism Intelligence .........11
CHAPTER TWO
The History of Domestic Intelligence in the United States:
Lessons for Assessing the Creation of a New
Counterterrorism Intelligence Agency .................................13
Agnes Gereben Schaefer
Domestic Intelligence Prior to World War I ...................................14
World War I, the Palmer Raids, and the Stone Line ..........................18
World War II and the Institutionalization of Domestic Intelligence
Activities...................................................................... 22
Post–World War II Domestic Intelligence .................................... 30
Growing Concern About the FBI’s Domestic Intelligence Activities .......37
vii
viii The Challenge of Domestic Intelligence in a Free Society
Terrorism and a Renewed Call for Expanded Domestic Intelligence
Activities...................................................................... 42
Conclusions ....................................................................... 44
CHAPTER THREE
Current Domestic Intelligence Efforts in the United States .............49
Brian A. Jackson, Darcy Noricks, and Benjamin W. Goldsmith
Mapping the U.S. Domestic Intelligence Enterprise ......................... 50
Describing the Domestic Intelligence Enterprise .............................55
Discussion ..........................................................................69
Conclusions ....................................................................... 77
CHAPTER FOUR
Societal Acceptability of Domestic Intelligence ...........................79
Genevieve Lester
Public Threat Perception: Terrorism ............................................82
The Balance of Civil Liberties and Security....................................89
Public Trust and Credibility .................................................... 96
Public Perception and the Portrayal of Intelligence ......................... 100
Conclusions ...................................................................... 103
CHAPTER FIVE
The Law and the Creation of a New Domestic Intelligence
Agency in the United States ............................................. 105
Jeremiah Goulka with Michael A. Wermuth
The Legality of Creating a New Federal Agency ............................ 108
Specific Legal Considerations .................................................. 112
Conclusions ...................................................................... 119
PART II
Exploring Different Approaches for Thinking About Creating a
U.S. Domestic Counterterrorism Intelligence Agency ............ 121
CHAPTER SIX
Weighing Organizational Models for a New Domestic
Intelligence Agency ....................................................... 123
Genevieve Lester and Brian A. Jackson